Heavy rains submerge Hanoi streets, paralyze traffic

Due to the impacts of a tropical depression that used to be storm Mulan, rains poured down in Hanoi the entire Thursday, getting heavier towards the afternoon. From 12 a.m. to 6 a.m. Friday, Hoang Mai District recorded rain levels at 340 mm, Nam Tu Liem 190 mm, Bac Tu Liem 250 mm, Cau Giay and Thanh Xuan 230 mm, and Hoan Kiem and Ba Dinh 170 mm.

Cau Giay District saw multiple inundated streets, the most severe ones being Phan Van Truong Street, with spots that were over 30 cm deep underwater. Hoa Bang, Duong Dinh Nghe, Tran Binh, Ho Tung Mau, Trung Kinh and Pham Hung also saw inundated areas that were 20 cm deep underwater.

Nguyen Loan, who lives on Nguyen Khang Street but works in Duy Tan, said she was stuck on Trung Kinh for over 20 minutes on her way to work on Friday morning due to inundations. Many cars did not dare to go through the location for fear of engine failure, she added.

Streets in Ha Dong and Thanh Xuan districts were flooded as well. The Xa La intersection, a frequent spot for traffic jams, saw water levels that were 20 cm deep Friday morning, making traffic much more difficult. Traffic police officers were present at the scene to direct the traffic flow, but due to the sheer number of vehicles, the road was still congested for over three km.

Cars are stuck in traffic in Hanoi as heavy rains flooded many streets, August 12, 2022. Photo by VnExpress/Thanh Van

Street sections from Dai Mo towards To Huu were similarly jammed, with vehicles being stuck in traffic for an hour. The Khuat Duy Tien Street ahead was simply too flooded, preventing vehicles from maneuvering effectively, plunging traffic into chaos.

On the Thang Long Highway area, the most severely inundated parts are an intersection with Le Trong Tan Street leading into the Bao Son Paradise Theme Park, with spots over 40 cm deep under. Warning signs have been erected to prevent vehicles from passing through. Several underground tunnels were also rendered unusable due to inundations.

In Dong Da District, flooded sections could be spotted on Thai Ha and Huynh Thuc Khang streets. Co Linh and Dam Quang Trung streets were congested for over five km due to two inundated areas in front of an Aeon Mall and an overpass over Co Linh Street.

Tay Ho District also saw several flooded streets, including Thuy Khue and Phung Hung. Several vehicles were also stuck in traffic.

As of Friday morning, clouds are continuing to be formed over the skies of Hanoi. Rains should persist for the next three hours with up to 60 mm per session, weather experts said.

Personnel from the city’s drainage company have been deployed to multiple locations at the capital to get rid of inundations.